This invention generally relates to a motorized system for adjusting the height of a vehicle seat and an associated linkage assembly.
A variety of vehicle seats are commercially available. In many instances, it is desirable to provide a seat occupant with the ability to adjust the angle of the seat back and the height and position of the seat base relative to the floor of the vehicle. A variety of manually operated and automatic seat adjustment mechanisms are available.
A major drawback associated with most automated seat adjustment mechanisms is that they include relatively expensive components, which increases the cost of the seat and the vehicle to the consumer. Another shortcoming of currently available systems is undesirable noise during operation of the seat adjustment mechanism. One cause of this noise is axial play within a motor housing that allows the internal components to move during operation, especially when reversing the direction of motor operation. Such noise is undesirable because it can be annoying or bothersome to a seat occupant. Further, the axial play within conventional systems also allows for the possibility of undesirable wear on the moving parts, which ideally are kept in a desired alignment throughout the life of the mechanism.
Another problem associated with prior seat adjustment designs is the arrangement of components that allow the seat height to be adjusted. There is limited space available beneath a seat in a typical vehicle and designers face the challenge of providing a stable, reliable and secure support system that is not overly bulky or complicated. The challenge is to provide such a system that enables a seat occupant to adjust the seat in a variety of directions to achieve greatest comfort while meeting the design criteria just mentioned.
This invention provides a unique motor assembly arrangement that avoids the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art described above. Further, this invention provides a unique linkage arrangement that cooperates with the inventive motor assembly to provide a versatile seat height adjustment device.